Class of 2009

Sustainability for tomorrow

"It's very difficult to find an element of anyone's life that isn't touched by science and engineering, so the employment opportunities are far greater than they have ever been," says Thomas. The most relevant example for new graduates is our ongoing environmental concerns.

"We are looking at an acute shortage of green space - there isn't enough to mop up the carbon dioxide we are emitting, and we are plundering resources," says Sara Parkin, founder director of sustainable development charity Forum for the Future.

This opens up opportunities for scientists. "Many companies now regard carbon performance as being one of the key criteria for both the cost base of a company and also its future ability to grow. This presents masses of employment opportunities," says Roger Gardner, chairman of OMEGA, a partnership of nine universities that addresses aviation sustainability, to help build a greener future for aviation. Most of its projects include postgraduate research, and would suit science students with an interest in sustainability and new technologies.

Energy for the future

"In the 1960s and 70s every kid wanted to be an astronaut and work for NASA or Jodrell Bank," says Dave Clarke, head of research and development at E.ON Engineering. Today, energy and low carbon are "the space race research for the 21st century", he says.

"The employment prospects for graduates in the energy sector in the next five to 10 years are absolutely fantastic," says Clarke. E.ON and the EPSRC have jointly invested £10 million in energy research, which includes a number of studentships and engineering doctorates. "One of the major motivations for getting involved in the energy scene is that it's one of the biggest challenges that we face," says Clarke, which makes for exciting times. "Graduates are really attracted to making a contribution and being able to make a difference."

If you want to get involved, there are a range of postgraduate degrees based on our need to find alternative and sustainable sources of energy, says David Elmes, academic director of the global energy MBA at the University of Warwick's business school, with a raft of MSc courses that provide opportunities for scientists to make the transition into industry. But the energy challenge isn't all about renewables; we need to remember the more traditional energies too, says Elmes. "There is a surge in demand for people with the technical skills needed for the traditional oil and gas business because the reality is that they are going to be part of the solution for a considerable period of time and it's not going to disappear overnight."

Finding your voice

You don't have to be a research scientist to make a difference, though. Look to the new US administration and you'll see the growing role of scientists in politics. "Barack Obama has appointed top scientific advisers because he knows that if his policy is in defiance of science, it won't work," says Parkin.

For postgraduate courses which convert scientists to science policy-makers, the University of Sussex's Science and Technology Policy Research Unit (SPRU) is a good place to start. Its graduates are incredibly employable, says Erik Millstone, a professor in science and technology policy from the unit. "We show them how to apply economic and political analysis to decisions about developing science and technology. We equip them with the tools to connect these dimensions together so they are able to make sound decisions on what should or shouldn't be done."

Former graduates of the unit work in academia all around the world, as well as in government, international organisations, and bodies like the World Health Organization and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Mind your own business

According to Stephen Uden, head of skills and economic affairs at Microsoft UK, small businesses are the engine room of the economy, and graduates would do well to consider the entrepreneurial opportunities they offer. "We are looking at a long period of economic uncertainty. That doesn't mean that business doesn't go on, or that there won't be opportunities for those who can take advantage of them," he says. "What it does mean is that those leaving university need to have the right skills to succeed."

In November 2008, the government's Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform launched three University Enterprise Networks, designed to provide science students with these very skills. Each network provides training and advice, and is supported by private companies and regional development agencies, giving students first-hand experience of enterprising workplaces.

You might even find business opportunities closer to home. "Many universities are setting up small companies to take advantage of the scientific developments within their own departments," says Alistair Benson, academic director of Manchester Business School Worldwide. He points to the University of Glasgow as a prime example: "They have a large number of small companies that provide fairly large revenues, merely by working with the university's patented discoveries."

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